LAKE BUTLER-Second ranked Union County left Friday
night’s game with long-time nemesis fourth ranked Newberry, the same way they
entered it, leaving home with the trophy again.
With the District 7-1A title and the Suwannee Conference
trophies on the line, the host Tigers held off Newberry 10-7 at the Jungle to
keep hold of both trophies for at least one more year.
Union County held Newberry tailback Ra’Kheem Hoyt (55
yards on 15 carries) in check the entire night, while in the process holding
the Panthers offense scoreless.
The win clinches the third straight district title for
the Tigers and gives them a home field playoff game in two weeks against the
winner of tonight’s game between Crescent City and Pierson Taylor, while
Newberry will travel to Wildwood in two weeks.
Providing both teams take care of their first round
opponents, the two rivals will meet up in the second round of the playoffs
again in Lake Butler.
If the rematch is anything like the original meeting, the
second meeting is headed for another classic showdown.
Both teams made numerous turnovers throughout the night,
but neither team was able to take advantage of them.
Early in the game, both teams combined for three
turnovers in the first quarter, none more bizarre then the teams committing on
back-to-back plays.
Following a punt downed inside the five, Newberry Tray
Presley fumbled the ball after a short gain, giving the Tigers the ball first
and goal from the ten.
Tigers tailback Daquin Edwards rumbled 9 yards up the
middle before losing the grip of the ball and fumbling at the 1-yard line
denying the Tigers a late first quarter score with under a minute remaining in
the first quarter.
The sequence of plays defined the type of game it was
hard-nosed defense and neither offense able to take advantage of turnovers.
Union County was playing without its starting quarterback
Chandler Mann, who was injured in last week’s win over Williston, as well as
its starting offensive tackle.
With under three minutes left in the first half of a
scoreless game, the Tigers finally snuck a score.
Predominately a running team, the Tigers caught the
Panthers off guard as backup quarterback Dylan Clark (1 of 6 for 47 yards)
easily hit Nate Bridges for a 47 yard strike across the middle with 39.9
seconds before half after the defensive back fell down going after the ball to
give the Tigers a 7-0 halftime lead.
The score looked like it might hold up for good as
neither team’s offense managed much of a threat the entire game.
After forcing a quick three and out on the Tigers opening
possession of the second half, the Panthers came to life finally.
Hoyt fielded a punt at the 45-yard line, cut left down
the Panthers sideline and behind a wall of blockers raced down the sideline
untouched for a 55-yard punt return tying the game at seven all just three
minutes into the second half.
That score looked like it would hold up and many thinking
the game would be decided with possible overtime.
With under ten minutes left in the game, the Tigers
offense put together one a game deciding drive behind Walter Mabrey, Prince
Alexander (25 yards on 10 carries) and Edwards (100 yards on 21 carries). The
threesome carried the offense into field goal range grinding out first downs
including a 15-yard scamper from Edwards.
Defensive end/tight end Carl Alexander (6-2, 250) lined
up for a 35-yard field goal and just hooked it in inches of the goal posts to
give the Tigers a 10-7 lead with 6:23 left in the game.
Newberry reached midfield on its ensuing drive, however a
Herbert pass landed nearly in the hands of Alexander who tipped the ball into
the hands of teammate Geordyn Green at midfield with under five minutes
remaining.
Edwards reeled off an 18 yard run to pick up a key first
down on the drive and the Tigers ran a play on fourth and 15 to kill the clock
to give the Panthers the ball back with about 31 seconds left.
Herbert hit Davonte Flagg for a short pass, before
spiking the ball with 13.3 seconds left. Herbert ran for an 8 yard gain before
running out of bounds to stop the clock with six seconds left.
With the title on the line, the Panthers called for the
hook and ladder play to try to come up with a miracle score. Herbert connected
with Flagg for a short pass, who then tossed the ball to a streaking Presley,
who was gang tackled at midfield to end the game.
Appropriately it was the defense on the field in the
closing seconds, the same unit which held Newberry out of the end zone and off
the scoreboard.
Like it has many times during the last three years, the
defense helped extend the Tigers regular season winning streak to twenty in a
row.
